The Washington Post reporter Kent Babb says New England Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow told a cameraman in a locker room in Philadelphia that Jesus loves him after the camera guy yelled, "Jesus Christ," following a mishap.

The exchange between Tebow, an evangelical Christian, and the cameraman took place after the Patriots 31-22 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Friday night. It was Tebow's first preseason game with the Patriots.

Tebow replaced second-string quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was hit in the chest on a pass rush in the second quarter while the Patriots were leading 24-14. Tebow struggled the rest of the game, but was still in high spirits in the locker room.

Last April, Tebow drew a crowd of more than 15,000 people when he spoke at a non-denominational, outdoor Easter service of Celebration Church in Georgetown, Texas. He told the audience that America's culture should get back to "what this country was based on: one nation under God." He also said he saw no problem in openly talking about his Christian faith, and welcomed the attention his convictions and the "Tebowing" prayer pose draw. "It's being talked about," he said. "That's exciting… It's OK to be outspoken about your faith."

The outspoken Christian athlete is known for "Tebowing" on the field to honor God. At college in Florida, Tebow frequently wore biblical verses on his eye black. In the 2009 Bowl Championship Series, he wore "John 3:16" on his eye paint, reportedly causing 92 million people to search the verse on Google. Later, Tebow switched to "Proverbs 3:5-6," again causing 3.43 million searches of the verse together with "Tim Tebow."